Behind the Mask
by Chibi0saka
Summary: Its been one year since Robin and Starfire first started dating after their adventure in Tokyo. Starfire wants to know more about Robin but her questions about his real identity drive him to choose between fighting for the city or for the girl he loves.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N:This story takes place after ALL the seasons of Teen Titans AND the movie, Trouble in Tokyo_

It had been exactly one year since that fateful night in Tokyo. The night that the Titans defeated an unexpected villain, Ueahara Daizo, in Japan's capital. What everyone remembered most, however was that it was also the night Robin and Starfire finally shared their first real kiss. No one was more aware of that fact than Starfire herself. The Tamaranian girl was in Raven's room, excitedly jabbering about her and Robin's upcoming anniversary.

"It is earth tradition to celebrate the anniversary of romantic events, yes?" The hyper redhead asked the gloomy girl whose room she was in.

"For the last time, yes. Now please stop talking, I am trying to meditate" Raven replied in an annoyed tone.

"Do you think Robin will give me the flowers and the chocolates? Or perhaps we shall go to eat the dinner at a restaurant of much formality?" Starfire asked, bouncing on Raven's bed.

"Look. I get you're excited, and I'm happy for you Starfire but can you please either stop talking or LEAVE?" Raven glowered at Starfire who slid to the door,

"Then I shall go and prepare for the return of Robin". Starfire gleefully flitted down the hallway in search of someone else to talk to, leaving Raven in peace.

########################

Meanwhile Robin was preoccupied, weaving through traffic on his motorbike. He and Cyborg were testing Cyborg's latest adjustments to the bike, Cyborg running tests long distance from the tower while Robin tried out the newest functions of his bike.

"Alright, now try the new wall climbing feature" Cyborg's voice came over the headset into Robin's helmet. The boy wonder flipped a switch and a mechanical whirring started as he drove straight towards an office building. As he reached the building spikes suddenly emerged from his wheels, digging into the side of the offices.

"It works!" Robing shouted as he drove vertically onto the roof of the building, pumping his fist at the top,

"Cyborg this is awesome!"

"My readings are showing no signs of exterior damage to the bike. This is working at 100%! Booyah!" Cyborg reported back to the spiky haired teen sitting above the cityscape.

"Alright, I'm heading back to the tower now" Robin replied, revving up the engine.

"Aren't you gonna stop and get something for your girlfriend?" Cyborg teased.

"Shut up. You're just jealous" Robin retorted.

Cyborg's deep laugh came in clear over the headset.

"Seriously though, isn't today your guys' big anniversary?"

Robin merged into traffic,

"Don't worry, I've got something good planned".

"Alright man, Cyborg out, see you back here" there was a clicking sound as Cyborg disconnected and Robin was left to his thoughts as he raced back to the tower.

####################################

"Robin! You have returned!" Starfire shouted happily as Robin stepped into the main living room of the Titans' Tower.

"Hey Star! Hows it going?" Robin grinned, Starfire's excitement to see him always made him feel loved. He was still feeling a bit of disbelief that the beautiful girl standing in front of him was really his girlfriend. Starfire fidgeted nervously,

" I am well, and you? I trust Cyborg's changes to your bike were satisfactory?"

Robin nodded,

"Yeah." He paused. Asking out his own girlfriend shouldn't be this awkward but somehow it was.

"So…you busy tonight?" He asked, glancing at her and noticed her grinning.

"I have not made the plans with anyone" Starfire smiled, knowing what was coming.

"Well then, why don't you meet me on the roof tonight for dinner? Say around seven?" Robin asked, running his fingers through his hair. "

That would be most joyous!" Starfire responded, clapping her hands together.

"Well then…see you at seven" Robin flashed a smile at her and left, heading to his room to prepare for the night.

###################

"Azarath, metrion, Zinthos…Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos"

"RAVEN!" Starfire's shrill voice shattered Raven's concentration, forcing her mind back to her dark room where Starfire was now pounding on the door, coming dangerously close to breaking it down.

"What?" Raven growled, opening the door before Starfire destroyed it completely. The alien girl burst into the room in a flurry of words,

"Raven! Robin has asked me to the dinner this evening on the roof of our tower and while I am most excited for our date I am also very worried for I have not an idea of what Robin is going to be planning and I have not received instructions on attire and I was hoping that you might know what is appropriate dress when one is dining with one's boyfriend on the roof of one's home!" Starfire paused for breath and Raven took the opportunity to interrupt,

"Listen Star, I'm not sure I'm the best person to be asking this. . ." Starfire looked at Raven and frowned,

"But are we not the girl friends? Do not the girl friends discuss clothing and make up and the styling of each others hair?" Raven sighed,

"You might not have noticed but I'm not exactly the…makeup and styling hair type" Starfire's lower lip began to quiver and tears started welling up in her eyes,

"Ah! Please don't cry" Raven rapidly tried to stop her friend from crying,

"I guess I can help you…just don't expect too much ok?"

"Oh thank you my dear friend!" Starfire leapt up and grabbed Raven in a bone-crushing hug,

"Air! Starfire I need air!"

#############################

As seven approached Robin stood on the roof of Titans Tower, giving one last look at the surprise he had prepared for Starfire. A nervous excitement filled him as he double-checked his surroundings. The door to the roof creaked open and Robin turned to see Starfire, stunning in a dark red dress, her crimson hair tumbling in waves around her face.

"Robin…"she stared, awestruck at the gift her best friend had prepared. Twinkling lights and paper lanterns lit the entire roof and at the center was a table and chairs, the table set with a variety of dishes and decorated with roses. Music softly played from somewhere in the background.

"Robin, this is…this is wondrous" she gasped, turning towards the dark haired boy who had changed from his normal costume into a navy dress shirt with black slacks and a matching skinny tie. He smiled,

"Thanks. You look great" He walked over to her and quickly kissed her on the cheek,

"Happy anniversary"

Starfire could not have smiled any wider if she tried.

"Happy anniversary Robin" she replied.

The night slowly went on as they ate and talked, happily laughing and reminiscing about the years that had passed since the day they had first met. The sun sank over the horizon, glittering off the water surrounding the tower and the city. Once they had finished eating Robin held out his hand,

"Wanna dance?" Time seemed to slow as they moved across the roof, swaying to the music, occasionally talking. Starfire leaned against Robin, her closest friend, as the moon rose overhead. 'I wish we could stay like this forever' she thought, breathing in the smell of Robin's cologne as she rested her head on his shoulder. Robin pulled her close, as if he was afraid to let go. "

Star…" he interrupted the silence that had fallen,

"I love you Starfire"

"and I you, Robin" she replied, stepping back to look at him. He was smiling, and his cheeks had a hint of a blush. Suddenly Starfire was keenly aware of the fact that Robin's mask was hiding his eyes from her view. She did not like that she could not look him in the eye and she placed a hand on the side of his face,

"Robin…will you not take off your mask?" Robin stiffened at the unexpected request,

"I…Star I can't" he looked away, "that isn't important anyway"

Starfire tilted her head, puzzled,

"What is not important?"

Robin let go of Starfire's waist, dropping his hands to his sides and stepping back,

"Who I am under the mask…I mean…the person under the mask…isn't Robin."

"I do not understand, there is a you who is not you?" Starfire's brow furrowed, trying to figure out what Robin was saying.

Robin sighed,

"Look. I put on this mask to become Robin. To become a…a hero" his back was now turned to Starfire as he looked out over the city.

"I still do not understand, if you are Robin with the mask then who are you when you are not you?"

Robin rubbed his hands over his face,

"Is that really important Star?" he asked, annoyed.

Starfire sensed his tone,

"Robin, have not we been doing the dating for an entire year now? Cannot I know all of who you are?" she asked, frustrated at his secrecy.

"I should've known this would happen" Robin grumbled.

"Known what would happen?" Starfire's anger was starting to build.

"That being together wouldn't be enough! That you have to know every single stupid thing! Why do girls always want more! Why can't we just be happy with what we have now!" Robin's voice was a mixture of anger and sadness. Starfire stared at him in shock,

"I…I merely wished to know more about you" her surprise was quickly turning to anger,

"because unlike the males of this planet it would seem, I have a desire for a relationship to progress"

Robin turned around,

"Well unlike you I have more important things to do than sit around talking about feelings!" he retorted.

"And what is so important to you? What is the most important in your life!" Starfire's voiced trailed off as she asked the last question, afraid of the answer. Robin looked at her, he could see in her eyes what she wanted him to say. What she wanted him to choose. Pausing he turned to look at the cityscape twinkling behind him,

"Star…I became Robin so I could protect this city. It's who I am." Starfire's heart filled with a sinking feeling,

"Then what you are saying is…" she stopped, on the verge of tears.

"I'm sorry Starfire but…the city comes first" Robin couldn't look at her as he declared those words. A silence fell between them as Starfire simultaneously tried to find a response and keep from crying. Robin awkwardly stared at the concrete beneath his feet. Finally Starfire took a deep breath,

"Robin. The city may be important but it cannot love you back. I will aid you when I must but I will not devote my life to fighting." Robin looked up,

"What are you saying Star-"but she was already gone.

#####################

(NEXT CHAPTER! ROBIN'S CRISIS!)


	2. Chapter 2In which Robin is angry

Robin rolled onto his side and stared at the red numbers displayed on the clock beside his head. Six a.m. The hours of the night had passed torturously slow after his fight with Starfire, and sleep had only taunted him as he lay in bed for hours, waiting for the sun to rise. Although he didn't know why it mattered. He couldn't take back what he had said, and he didn't want to. Still, he found himself gazing at the glowing display, wondering if Starfire was still asleep, or if she too had spent the night wrestling her thoughts. His felt a pang of guilt as he realized that it was more likely than not, knowing Star, that she had spent the night in tears. It was a terrible feeling, knowing that she was upset and there was nothing he could do. He couldn't change the facts; the most important thing to him was being Robin, protecting Jump City. No matter how much he wanted to he couldn't deny all he had become, all he had worked so hard for, for one girl. The happiness he felt when he was with her wasn't enough to forget the guilt of taking time from saving innocent lives. He turned his face towards the clock again; only three minutes had passed. He looked back at the ceiling.

"AAAH! Forget this!" he growled, throwing off the blankets covering him and pulling on his clothes. Without thinking he found himself heading down the hallway to Starfire's room. He stopped outside her door, realizing he had nothing to say, even if she was awake. Frustrated he turned and skulked towards the gym room instead, the usual place he went to vent.

Forcing his anger and bitter feelings out of his mind, Robin focused solely on the movements of his body, moving faster, hitting harder. He was soaked in sweat and breathing hard three hours later when he finally stopped, gasping for air. His body was beginning to resist him, and he recognized the hunger of a teenage boy rumbling in his stomach. Giving one last kick to the practice dummy beside the door he trudged up the stairs to the kitchen, downing a glass of water before pulling open the door of the giant refrigerator to stare at what they had to eat. Even though his stomach was hungry Robin felt almost nauseous at the idea of putting food in his mouth. He knew better than to go without though, and reached for an apple. As he shut the door he felt someone's gaze and turned to see Raven, standing in the doorway. She looked at him, one eyebrow raised,

"Did you just run a marathon or something?"

Robin looked down at the sweat obviously beading on his skin and soaked into his clothes.

"I…was working out." he mumbled, collapsing onto a nearby chair and forcing himself to take a bite of the fruit in his hand.

"Uh-huh…" Raven grunted skeptically. She opened the fridge and took out an apple as well.

"Well…uh…see ya later" she awkwardly slipped out of the room, heading to the roof to meditate. Robin stared blankly at the table, occasionally remembering to take a bite of the food in his hand. He was still there an hour later when Cyborg walked in,

"Who's ready for waffles!" he shouted, and then spotting Robin, "Well good morning lover boy! How was your special night?" he smirked. Robin looked up at his friend, who was gazing at him mischievously.

"Um…we might have broken up…"

Cyborg's jaw dropped,

"WHAT?"

Robin ran his hands through his now clumpy hair nervously,

"Yeah…we kinda got into a fight…" he looked up to see Cyborg scowling at him,

"You two are best friends! What could you possibly fight about?"

Robin stood up, pushing back his chair,

"Look, it's none of your business ok, so just leave me alone." He pushed passed Cyborg and headed towards the doorway, pausing at the last second, to murmur over his shoulder,

"She wanted me to pick between her and being Robin."

Cyborg frowned as his friend walked out.

"Man…that's…tough…" The robotic teen turned back to the kitchen, "Man, now I really don't feel like making waffles!" He mumbled to himself. Sighing, he noticed Raven had appeared in the doorway,

"Hey Ray…"

"Hi…" she paused, "Do you know if Robin and Star are planning on cleaning up all that stuff they left on the roof?"

Cyborg sighed again, "Man from what I just heard it sounds like 'Robin and Star' won't be doing anything for awhile." Raven stared at him blankly.

"What?"

Cyborg shook his head,

"Robin just told me, they got into the whole secret identity thing and apparently split up" He gestured fanatically but Raven's reaction was nothing except a slight squint.

"So they're not going to clean it up?"

Cyborg moaned,

"Man Raven! Don't you get it? Two of our friends, two people we care about are fighting with each other!" Raven blinked slowly, then turned,

"I guess I'll just go ask Star if they're planning on picking it up."

"AARG!" Cyborg smacked his palms against his face. Raven glanced back at him,

"Look, I get that you care about them but if they have a problem we shouldn't try to get involved. They'll work it out on their own" She pulled her hood over her face and walked out.

###################################

Robin stared at his reflection in the foggy mirror. Taking a shower had only managed to successfully rid him of sweat, but his frantic thoughts were the same as before. Aggravated, but at least washed and dressed, Robin lay back on his bed, wondering what to do with his time now. A sudden knock at the door made Robin jolt back to reality, and he eagerly leapt off the bed, hoping the person on the other side of the door was Starfire. Nervously he called out,

"It's open."

The door slid open to reveal not Starfire but Beast Boy,

"Dude, uh…have you seen Star?"

Trying to hide his disappointment Robin kicked at the carpet,

"No…I haven't seen her since last night. Why?"

Beast Boy looked agitated,

"Well…um…cause…she's gone"

Robin froze,

"What do you mean she's gone?"

Beast Boy was avoiding making eye contact,

"Welll…uh..so Raven went to Star's room to ask her about the stuff you guys left on the roof and she wasn't there. She couldn't find her anywhere. And then she noticed…"

Robin grabbed Beast Boy's shoulders,

"What?"

Beast Boy looked panicked now,

"Well dude…her stuff is gone…I mean her important stuff…like…stuff you would take if you were…running away…"

Robin's hands fell to his sides. He turned away from Beast Boy, trying to comprehend what he had been told.

"Maybe she just went to visit someone?" Beast Boy hesitantly suggested, "Cy is calling Titans East to see if they've heard from her and Raven is running a search on the GPS in Star's communicator…" Robin brushed Beast Boy aside and sprinted down the hallway to Starfire's room, throwing open the door. Everything seemed normal except for a few unnerving pockets of empty spaces around the room. Spaces where Robin could remember seeing things kept before that were now missing. He turned in disbelief and ran to the titan's main room where Cyborg and Raven were staring at computer screens, Raven typing diligently and Cyborg talking to Bumble Bee and Speedy via video chat.

"So you guys haven't heard anything from her?" he was asking. Speedy and Bee shook their heads,

"We haven't seen Starfire since you guys last visited us" Bee replied, her tone was worried.

"Ok, thanks anyway. Let us know if you hear from her" Cyborg disconnected the call and turned to look at Robin. His face was a mixture of worry and confusion.

"I got her signal!" Raven interrupted the heavy silence that had fallen. Robin's heart seemed to leap out of his chest,

"Where is she!" He stared at the map on Raven's screen, an orange dot blinking in the Northern sector of Jump City.

"I'm not sure, it looks like some kind of apartment complex…"Raven zoomed in on the map. Robin started towards the door,

"Let's go!" He opened the door and turned; none of the other titans had moved.

"What are you waiting for!" He shouted.

Raven and Cyborg looked at each other and Raven sighed,

"Look Robin…maybe we should give her some space? She left for a reason…"

Robin stared at them in disbelief,

"But…"He couldn't come up with any reason to disagree. Suddenly a deep ringing sound filled the tower, red lights flashing.

"There's a prison break just outside the city! Looks like Cinderblock has broken out again!" Cyborg reported. Beast Boy, Raven and Cyborg all turned expectantly towards Robin.

"What are you waiting for? Titans go!" Robin shouted, leading them out the door. Beast Boy shape shifted into a Pterodactyl and picked up Cyborg in his talons, heading south towards the prison. Robin looked at Raven,

"Um…I can try to carry you…"She hesitantly held out a hand.

"Its fine, I'll drive" Robin dashed into the garage and jumped his R-Cycle, swiftly following the figures of his airborne friends. The entire time, Starfire's last words to him echoed in his mind,

"I will aid you when I must but I will not devote my life to fighting". So many questions ran through his mind; what had she meant? Was she leaving the team? Would she be there when they got to Cinderblock? What would he say if she was there?


	3. Chapter 3In which Robin is too late

_DISCLAMER! I forgot to put this in the first two chapters but obviously I don't own Teen Titans. If I did THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A SEASON SIX!_

Cinderblock had not gone far. After destroying the walls to his cell and breaking down a barbed wire fence he plunged into the forest surrounding Jump City Penitentiary. Crashing through trees he suddenly stopped short, the red headed girl from those Teen Titans had appeared in front of him, eyes glowing with and unearthly green light.

"I cannot let you escape. You have done many bad things and for that you must be punished" She spoke, raising a fist straight out in front of her, a neon light surrounding her hand. Cinderblock looked around him, debating whether he should fight or try to run. He decided one girl couldn't be strong enough to stop his herculean strength and charged at her, fists clenched, ready to attack. Before he even reached her however, a flash of light followed by a combination of burning heat and incredible force caught the left side of his face, sending him tumbling backwards. He tried to regain his balance but starbolts rained down on him as Starfire attacked.

"Do not try to resist!" Starfire shouted angrily.

"Starfire!" Familiar voices rang out and Starfire looked up to see Raven flying towards her, along with Cyborg, being carried by a green dinosaur Starfire had no doubt was Beast Boy. Cinderblock took the opportunity to run, lunging back into the trees. Cyborg's sonic cannon quickly stopped him as the hero was dropped onto the ground and then joined by Beast Boy who quickly changed into a bear. Starting to wonder why he had bothered to break out, Cinderblock angrily pulled up a nearby tree, swinging it at the two boys attacking him. His resistance was futile however as the tree in his hands was suddenly surrounded by an electric blackness and lifted away from him. Raven used her powers to throw the tree back at him instead and the monster was forced to the ground. Beast Boy changed into an elephant and promptly sat on the convict, keeping him from going anywhere.

The police were leading the prisoner away as Robin arrived.

"Dude you totally missed it!" Beast Boy shouted, waving at his teammate.

"Not helping…" Raven glared at the green teenager.

"Right…"Beast Boy's pointy ears drooped and he frowned.

Starfire had been talking to her teammates when she turned to see Robin, pulling of his helmet. As soon as she saw him she turned to fly away.

"Wait! Star!" Robin shouted after her, jumping and managing to grab hold of her wrist.

"Please Robin, I…I have nothing to say to you." She looked at him and he saw not anger but sadness in her eyes. That look said more than enough and Robin finally realized how deep Starfire's feelings towards him really were.

"Please let me go…" Starfire's voice was almost a whisper.

"…You were my best friend Star." Robin dropped her hand and she lifted into the air. As he watched her go he saw from behind she was lifting her hands to her face. He knew she was wiping tears away.

The four remaining Titans stood in silence, an almost overwhelming sadness falling over each of them.

"She said she would help us whenever we need her." Beast Boy quietly spoke, trying to comfort his teammates and himself. But somehow they all felt that even if they saw Starfire again things would never be the same.

"There's no use standing around here, lets get back to the tower." Robin finally stated, his voice distant and cold. The other Titans glanced at each other but said nothing, instead following Robin back to their home.


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans. Also sorry for the delay between updates. _

Robin slowly opened the door to the roof, not sure he wanted to be there again. Rain that afternoon had turned the paper lanterns into ragged, dripping, ghosts, and the table had been blown over in the wind, broken dishes spilled out over the concrete. The scene seemed to echo the hollow, brokenness Robin felt inside of him. He slowly set to the task of cleaning up the mess, piece by piece restoring the roof. The effect failed to transfer to his heart however, and the more he cleaned the worse he felt. Those emerald eyes and the feelings he had seen behind them haunted him, filling him with guilt. He had seen in that gaze how much he meant to her, how much leaving him was hurting her. How much he had hurt her. Frustrated and angry he threw down the trash bag he had been filling and stomped back to his room.

As weeks passed the tower became filled with a mournful silence, each of the Titans, even Raven, missing the hyperactive and cheerful nature of their friend. They saw her from time to time, when they were chasing down and locking up villains, but she always left as soon as their job was over, with barely a word passing between her and her former team. Starfire's room became like a tomb, empty of life, full of nothing but sadness and memories of times gone by. Everyone but Robin had at one time or another met with Starfire but those times were few and far between.

Throwing himself into fighting was Robin's only solution, and he spent all of his free time training, as if somehow he could beat the guilt and pain out of his heart. The rest of the team knew he was doing all he could to keep himself occupied, to push thoughts of Starfire out of his mind by working himself into the ground. At first pushing his body to its limit had paid off, enabling Robin to focus solely on straining his muscles for hours before collapsing into sleep. But even sleep began to offer no escape as Robin's dreams became more vivid and frequent. They weren't always the same, but in them, he was always trying to reach Starfire and she always slipped away. His days were filled with battles against petty criminals while in his dreams he fought to reach her, but he was never strong enough, or fast enough.

"Robin!"

He heard her voice in the middle of the night. Bolting out of bed he realized his room was filled with a black fog.

"Robin! Help me!" Starfire called out again.

"Starfire!? Is that you? Where are you?"

Robin coughed as the black mist curled around him, growing thicker. He squinted and tried to feel his way forward but the mist gave way to nothing. The black was growing all around him and his vision slipping away as he groped for anything to hold onto,

"Starfire!" He opened his mouth to call out to her but it filled with fog, suffocating him. A darkness he could feel weighed down on him, filling his lungs and blinding his eyes. Panicking he tried to run, to feel for the walls of the room but he couldn't move through the thick fog enveloping him.

With a gasp Robin woke up. He was covered in sweat, but could see his room clearly. It had been another nightmare. Sighing he laid back on his pillow. He was exhausted from working so hard physically when he was awake and mentally in his sleep. He knew this couldn't go on. He was going to reach a breaking point . . .but the one thing Robin couldn't face was that no matter how hard he worked, no matter how many martial arts he mastered, how many criminals he stopped, how many gadgets he had he couldn't save everyone. That he couldn't save Starfire from pain, and he couldn't save himself from his own failings.

#################################

"Ok, we seriously need to talk to him" Beast Boy was sitting in front of a bowl of cereal that was turning the soy milk it was drenched in an unhealthy shade of artificially colored purple.

Raven sighed, looking up from the newspaper she had been skimming. Cyborg was standing at the kitchen counter, waffle batter in hand. All three wore worried looks.

"We can't just let him deal with this on his own anymore! I mean did you hear him last night!?" Beast boy pointed a spoon at Raven, "I woke up at least three times because he kept yelling about Star in his sleep!"

Raven frowned. Cyborg looked at her, recognizing the concern in her eyes,

"I know you wanted them to deal with this on their own but Robin isn't dealing with it. He's trying to escape the problem by throwing himself into his identity as a hero."

"He's the only one out of all of us who has a secret identity" Raven replied, "There's a reason he keeps it secret"

"Yeah, to protect the people close to him, but all he's doing is driving them away!" Cyborg replied.

"He's the one who started this whole team idea but he won't even admit that he there might possibly be something he needs help with." Grumbled Beast Boy, rubbing his eyes. He opened them to see Raven glaring,  
>"What, it's true!"<p>

Cyborg sighed, "Look, we don't have to go demand he do anything but maybe we should remind him that he's not alone. We're fighting together because none of us can do it all by ourselves."

Raven closed her eyes, deep in thought, and after a long pause she finally replied:

"You're right. Let's do it now, while it's still relatively quiet"

The two boys nodded and all three headed towards Robin's room.

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Robin sat on the edge of his bed, staring down at the mask in his hands. It had been years since he had first donned his heroic persona, leaving behind his true identity to become someone else.

"Without this…I'm just some pathetic kid with a sad story…a kid who couldn't do anything for anyone." He thought. He was too exhausted to be angry anymore, the last month of stifling his rage and pain had driven him to try to become numb to feeling at all.

Hearing a knock at his door, he place the mask over his eyes, fully aware of the way his outward actions reflected the way he was behaving internally-hiding his vulnerability away from those he was closest to.

"What." His voice was deadpan. Raven opened the door,

"Can we come in?" Beastboy and Cyborg were standing behind her in the hallway.

Robin eyed them suspiciously, "what... what is it?" he tried to sound angry but the fatigue of the last few weeks was apparent in his voice.

"Look, I know you've been going through a rough time, and we all wanted to give you some space but… " Raven started

"Dude! You're going mental!" Beastboy interrupted and after a glare from Raven he softened his voice and continued, "I mean…you can't keep trying to keep this all to yourself…"

"It doesn't matter-" Robin's voice was flat and emotionless

"Yes it does" Raven's unnaturally clear concern startled Robin. He knew if even Raven, someone whose life depended on having as little emotion as possible, was trying to talk to him about feelings . . .he sighed.

"Look. I appreciate your concern but there's nothing I can do. This mask…it's who I am now. " Realizing what he was saying Robin stopped. Turning to tell his teammates to go he was silenced by the level of worry visible on all three of his friend's faces.

"Robin, I get that you want to protect the people close to you, but you don't have to be so guarded anymore." Cyborg started, reaching out to put a hand on Robin's shoulder. Robin twitched and slapped Cyborg's hand away, the anger he had at himself flaring up,

"You don't understand! It doesn't matter who I am under the mask because that person doesn't exist anymore. I am Robin. I have to be Robin or else-" He stopped, realizing his fists were now raised along with his voice.

"Or else what?" Beastboy questioned hesitantly. Robin didn't answer, turning his back to them.

"Or else he's powerless." Raven finished. Robin's shoulders visibly tensed.

As the teens stood in silence Robin could feel anger washing over him, trying to cover up the fear that threatened to surface with the truth. The truth that his true identity was a helpless boy who couldn't even save the people he loved most.

They all jumped as Beastboy suddenly burst out,

"That doesn't make any sense!" Robin turned angrily to see Beastboy with his hands crossed across his chest.

"It doesn't matter whether you're wearing a mask or not, you're always going to be Robin to me. Whoever you used to be, that isn't you anymore. You don't have anything to hide from."

"He's right" Raven added, "You've become stronger than the kid you used to be. You don't have to carry that guilt anymore."

Robin looked away,

"I owe it to this city to fight. That's why I can't…I can't justify putting anything above protecting this city"

"You can't protect this city." Cyborg looked at Robin.

"What?" Robin blinked

"That was the point of being the Teen Titans wasn't it? None of us can protect this city alone. That's why we fight together."

Robin was silent.

Raven sighed,

"Look, you know I hate to admit this just as much as you do but . . . we need each other."

Robin suddenly felt all the rage slip away. For the first time in weeks he felt a tiny bit of something he had forgotten, peace.

"We can take care of the city. The person who really needs you right now is Star." Beastboy's words sunk to the core of Robin's heart. He was gone in a matter of seconds and as they heard his R-Cycle leaving the tower the rest of the Teen Titans gave each other a wary smile.

"You think he'll get her back?" Beastboy asked.

"If he doesn't I'm going to drag him back there and make him beg." Raven's answer made both boys burst out laughing.


	5. Chapter 5

As he sped through the streets of Jump City Robin's mind was hard at work. When did he become so guarded against his own friends? Letting the encouragement of his teammates wash over him, he felt like he might be able to let go of his need to protect everyone and everything by himself. He felt himself finally relax as he realized that he could trust Raven, Beastboy, Cyborg and Starfire to not only protect each other but to protect him as well, that he didn't have to go it alone anymore. He'd been living knowing that for the past few years but now it was finally sinking in, what it meant to have friends, to be a team. Glancing at the screen on his bike a blip of green light confirmed he was getting close. This was the final test for Robin. Being able to really let go of controlling his life and protecting himself by letting the people closest to him in. He parked in an alleyway across from a small apartment complex. A few kids were running around on the grass laughing and chasing each other. The GPS in his communicator confirmed that Starfire was on the roof of the building. He threw a black hoodie on, stuffing his cape and costume shirt into the side compartment of his bike. Easily slipping a pair of faded jeans over the bottom half of his costume he turned back to the building where the kids were now drawing on the sidewalk. Taking a deep breath Robin reached to the sides of his face. His heartbeat quickened and he felt himself tense but for the first time, instead of giving in to his fear he forced himself to think of the four people moving him forward, his teammates and friends. Then the Boy Wonder finally removed his mask, placing it gingerly in his pocket. He ran his hands through his spiky black hair and took another breath before stepping out into the sunlight.

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Starfire had been staying at this small apartment complex for the last few weeks, doing odd jobs for the landlord in exchange for a small room. She had been charged with the care of the rooftop garden and was watering a tomato plant when she heard a familiar voice,

"Starfire"

Shocked she turned around to see a lean, dark haired teenage boy looking at her with piercing blue eyes. She could hardly believe what she was looking at. He blushed, reaching a hand up to fuss with his hair,

"Sorry, I . . . I don't even know if you recognize me . . . "

He was cut off as Starfire threw her arms around him, her eyes glistening with tears of joy,

"Robin!"

Robin was overwhelmed with relief as he wrapped his arms around her, realizing just how much he had missed his best friend.

"Star, I'm so sorry." He whispered as he held her tightly, taking in the scent of her hair, warm from the afternoon sun. She hugged him back and murmured,

"It is all right now Robin. Everything will be all right. "

He ran a hand over her hair, gleaming as the sun beginning its descent reflected of the bright red strands.

"Star . . . I love you . . . You're the more important to me than anything else." Robin's voice was steady and calm, "Come home."

Starfire drew back, keeping her hands on Robin's shoulders and looking him in the eye for the first time, saw the emotion he felt reflected there as he gazed back at her. Finally there was nothing between them, no masks, no hidden identities, just deep clear blue as he waited for her to respond. She smiled, a sense of peace and warmth slowly spreading through her,

"Robin, you are my home."

The end.

_(author's note: Hope you enjoyed it? Sorry for the inconsistent updates. :P)_


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